PHILADELPHIA – The last two matches in a first-round group at a major soccer tournament do not carry the mystique of Game 7s or the finality of a one-off championship. Some are inconsequential, with the two advancing teams already firm. Some will end in draws.
The last set of matches, however, are often complicated affairs impacting one another by not only results, but the number of goals scored. They are most nervy when played simultaneously — assistants relaying updates to the head coach, players checking secondary scoreboards and fans flashing glances at mobile devices.
The U.S. men’s national team will not experience the real-time drama of dual starts Saturday, but it will feel the tension of a Copa America Centenario quartet that has come down to the last day.